“Reports are misleading and factually incorrect.” : , ReNew refuse claim
MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, DATE 21 SEPTEMBER : With elections approaching, the political atmosphere in Maharashtra is becoming tense, with barbs being thrown from all sides. Among these attacks, the opposition, led by Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), is now trying to corner the incumbent government over the ‘ReNew disinvestment’ controversy.
Opposition claims suggest that the ₹18,000 crore investment by ReNew, expected to create around 3,000 jobs, has been shifted to Gujarat. However, ReNew has categorically refuted these claims, stating that the reports are “misleading and factually incorrect.”
The company reiterated its commitment to Maharashtra, highlighting ongoing projects, including an installed capacity of 550 MW and an additional 2,000 MW under construction, with investments amounting to ₹15,000 crore.
Despite the company’s clarification, the opposition continues to spread the misleading narrative, accusing the current administration of ‘negligence’ and of losing significant investments to Gujarat.
State Deputy Chief Minister and BJP Chief Devendra Fadnavis has rebuked these claims, calling them part of a malicious campaign against the NDA government. Fadnavis also criticized the opposition for “constantly defaming” Maharashtra, adding, “I think they suffered a setback, hence such narratives.”
Blinded by the political viability of this narrative and targeting Fadnavis, the opposition has failed to consider the negative impact these claims could have on the state’s economic growth and business environment. Such narratives are not only misleading but also detrimental to Maharashtra’s reputation and its attractiveness to potential investors.
Observers believe the opposition should not jeopardize the state’s interests in pursuit of political gains. Many view this as an attempt to cast doubt on the positive aspects of the state’s development. Adamant in its approach to defame the state government and target Devendra Fadnavis, the opposition has consistently trained its guns on him. Whether it is any administrative issue, the opposition pins all the blame on Devendra Fadnavis, having found him to be their political scapegoat.
Contradictory to the claims, the current government is actively working to strengthen Maharashtra’s industrial base. Recently, the state government inaugurated the state’s first semiconductor manufacturing OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) plant in Navi Mumbai, established by RRP Electronics Ltd with an investment of ₹12,035 crore. This initiative aims to reduce India’s reliance on imported semiconductor chips and is expected to create around 400 jobs.
2014-19: Crucial phase of Maharashtra’s investment landscape
One should be reminded that Devendra Fadnavis, who has been at the center of the opposition’s attacks, has played an instrumental role in attracting investment to the state. Fadnavis has been the face of investment efforts, and many industrialists have expressed confidence in his leadership.
During his tenure as Chief Minister from 2014 to 2019, his government secured major investments, including the expansion of the Mercedes-Benz India manufacturing facility in 2015, a ₹1,500 crore project, and the expansion of General Motors’ Talegaon plant, worth ₹6,400 crore.
In 2017, Infosys’ IT park in Nagpur, built with an investment of ₹750 crore, became operational, helping the city emerge as an IT hub and creating thousands of jobs. That same year, Mahindra Electrics set up a vehicle manufacturing plant worth ₹500 crore. In 2018, Amazon Web Services established a large data center infrastructure in Maharashtra with an investment of ₹8,500 crore, which now supports cloud services for various sectors. The Hiranandani Group’s Data Center Park in Panvel, brought to the state by the Fadnavis government in 2018, was built with an investment of ₹14,000 crore and is now operational.
